Nail receiving metallic floor beam



Apr-ii 19, 1949. w. s. KAPNEK 5 NA IL RECEIVING METALLIC FLOOR BEAM Filed Jan. 9, 1946 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 19, 194$. ws. KAF'NEK NAIL RECEIVING METALLIC FLOOR BEAM 2 Sheets-Sheefi 2 Filed Jan. 9, 1945 lilllll ATTORN EY Patented Apr. 19, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NAIL RECEIVING METALLIC FLOOR BE M William S. Kapnek, Philadelphia, Pa. Application January 9, 19.4.6, Serial No. 640,002

1 Claim.

My invention relates to buildings or structures and relates particularly to floor beams made of metal whereby nails may be driven into the metal floor beams and whereby boards may be fastened to the floor beams.

l-leretofore, wooden floor beams and metallic lebeams have been used, but they are of relatively great weight. When metallic I-beams are used, boards may be attached to said I-beams only by the use of special clamps, whereas with my invention, customary nails may be driven into metallic floor beams.

T e efe a it is ob ec of m invention t provide a metallic floor beam whereby the beam will support a heavy floor as well as a ceiling in a building and whereby nails may be driven into the floor and be retained therein.

Another object of my invention is to provide a floor beam of metal wherein the beam is relatively light in weight and can be readily handled.

Another object of my invention is to provide a strut for a pair of beams which is prefabricated and which may be rapidly forced into a fixed position against the side of said beam.

Another object of my invention is to provide a strut for a pair of beams which is prefabricated and which may be held by a prefabricated clamp.

Other objects of my invention are to provide an improved device of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly effective in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, my invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary end view of a portion of a metallic beam, 2. wooden board, and a metallic nail of the customary construction.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the steel web which is welded along one side each of the two chord members.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a pair of floor beams embodying my invention.

Fig. 4 is an end View of a pair of floor beams wherein a wooden board is nailed to one of said beams to form the floor, and the bottom has metal lath or plaster board nailed thereto to form a ceiling.

Fig. 5 is an end view of a tie clamp or spring clip.

Fig. 6 is a side view of a fabricated beam embodying my invention.

Fig. '7 is a side view of a cross brace or strut.

Fig. 8 is a top view of the cross brace shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is an end view of the cross brace or strut.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the cross brace or strut.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, I show a prefabricated metallic beam used as a joist for supporting the floor of a building, house, or structure, and which can ca a u t a and th beam @1 i de table to receive a nail or nails for supporting a board, plaster board, or wooden lathing. The beam comprises prefabricated chord members, each generally designated as A, which are held together by a web, generally designated as B, comprising a shaped metallic wire or rod.

The chord member A is made of different lengths, of rolled steel, having a hollow interior,v and havin its three sides l0, l2, and l t contiguous to one another and its fourth side [6 being substantially flat with a space l8 therebetween. The longitudinal ends 28, 22 of the fourth side It are inturned to extend within the interior of the end member A, so that nails 24%, of the customary construction, may be pushed or driven between the spaced edges of the beam A. The nails 24, after insertion, will be tightly gripped and if withdrawn, the edges 26, 28 of the ends 20, 22 will cut into the body of the nails. The ends 2B, 22 of the fourth side it of the chord are diverging inwardly in order to enable the point of the nail to-be guided inwardly into the interior of the end member. The sides Ill, l2, and In each have a central longitudinally extendin recess or concave portion l5 therein, for a purpose to be described in greater detail.

The steel web 13 joins the top and bottom chord members A, and a portion 30 of the web is welded to the side I!) of the bottom member A and is bent at an angle of 45 to another portion 32, Which is welded to the upper chord A, and this web B continues from one chord to the other chord throughout the length of the beam.

When the beams are used to support a floor, they must be supported so that transverse vibration of the beams will not occur. A strut, generally designated as C, comprises a substantially U-shaped member having a central longitudinal part 34' and diverging sides 36, 38. The strut 0, extends from the top chord of one beam to a bottom chord of an adjacent beam, thereby forming a cross or a herringbone strutting, or from a bottom flange to an adjacent top flange, and the 3 edges of the diverging sides are adapted to lie parallel to the vertical sides of the chord. The edges 40 of the side 38 has a convex extension 42 therein, which snugly fits into the recess IS on the side of the chord, and the other edge 44 of the side 38 has a convex extension 46 therein which snugly fits into the recess [5 on the side of an adjacent flange.

A wire lock, generally designated as D, comprising a convex end 34a, fits into the recess [5, and the other irregular end 36a, is joined to the end by the connecting portion 38a, which serves to hold one end of the strut to the floor chords A.

The nail 24 may pass either through a floor board F or a ceiling FI, and the nail will be held by the flanges 26, 28 of the metallic beam.

It can be seen that a downward force exerted upon a structure formed from said beams, as by a person walking across a floor, will be directed into a horizontal component of force as well as a vertical component by the struts C. This horizontal component tends to compress the nail-receiving lips of the chords, and enables the lips to grasp the nails more securely.

The beam may be used to replace a joist or stud in a building structure where a compressive force rather than tensile force is applied.

Although my invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

I claim as my invention:

In a plurality of metallic nail-receiving beams, the combination of a plurality of parallel and relatively-spaced chord members, said chord members comprising one-piece substantially square channel members having longitudinal recesses in three walls of said channel members, and inwardly-turned and closely-spaced lips longitudinally formed in the fourth and outermost wall of said channel members for the purpose of receiving nails therein, web members rigidly connecting said relatively spaced chord members by engaging said recesses in said channel walls, and a plurality of struts connecting said chord members, each strut extending diagonally from one chord of one beam to a second chord of a second beam, said struts having extensions at their ends interfitting with said channel wall recesses.

WILLIAM S. KAPNEK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 385,624 Hodges July 3, 1888 991,603 Brooks May 9, 1911 1,545,168 Schenck July 7, 1925 1,735,591 White Nov. 12, 1929 2,063,714 Waugh et al. Dec. 8, 1936 2,147,965 Clauss Feb. 21, 1939 2,315,687 Burke Apr. 6, 1943 

